4.3.2.1 GO/DRAG CITY
CHRIS DARROW/Artist Proof: A country rock classic that was lost in the Fantasy vaults for 40 years, this was one of the records that kick started the genre by one of the cats that kick started the genre. Although you might never have heard of him, you have heard him since he played seemingly on every record by every artist that mattered along these lines in the 70s and 80s. And he's still active now. Unfortunately, he was just one of those cats doomed to be an MVP instead of a star in his own right. It's all too easy to call a record that fell through the cracks a lost classic, but certainly in this case, the mantle fits. Now if we could just get those two United Artists sets of his back in print...

ALCALGAR
AL THOMPSON JR/City Mainstream: Perhaps we're on the cusp of a new sub-genre here, city jazz? With a certain urban flair where urban isn't a euphemism for marketing purposes, piano man Thompson and his pals sound like city streets you aren't afraid to walk down that give you plenty to soak up as you move from block to block and neighborhood to neighborhood. A totally tasty, well played romp, this is more like happy hour jazz than after hours jazz. Very winning in it's sprightliness, this set is simply fun stuff that puts the happy back in jazz.
010721

COMEDY CENTRAL
KYLE KINANE/Whiskey Icarus: The digital release from last Thanksgiving by Comedy Centrals' rising in your face comedy star is expanded and uncensored and graced in the same pack with a DVD of his first special. Fearless, bombastic and merrily over the top with almost every word out of his mouth, this adrenaline charged confrontational comedy is one killer shot in the arm. A 100 mph thrill ride, this is one bad ass whose break neck approach will at least clear the crap out of your arteries. Killer stuff.
170

DJ SUN
DJ SUN/One Hundred: Ever wonder what Ibeza chill filtered through H-town would sound like? The long running dj/radio host blends fun sounding streets with a Surinam vibe and his vast skills in manipulating electronics into a sonic pastiche that has enough found sound touches to make it sound like an audio verite adventure. A well wrought, solid bet for down tempo fans of dj culture, you can almost feel the suds floating around your ankles.

MR. B SHARP
LEE DUNLOP BOYD/Lake Reflections: Here's our kind of story. An 85 year old in a nursing home gets discovered, makes his recording debut, the media takes notice, he drops dead, gets revived and says -screw this nursing home jazz- and comes back with his follow up date. A set of solo piano originals inspired by pictures of Lake Erie, this is an old pro that did a mighty patient job of waiting for his turn to shine. Easily on a par with any of your fave jazzbo/new age pianists, Boyd brings the depth of a long lived life to the keys giving this a dimension you just don't hear from someone in their 20s or 30s. It might have been a long time coming but it'll be a long time here. Check it out and say tuned for the next entry.

RED NEWT
PETER STAMPFEL & the Ether Frolic Mob/The Sound of America: The father of freak folk can't fool me. The first guy to say psychedelic on a record can't fool me. Steve Weber might have been replaced by John Cohen. Sam Shepard might have been re-recruited into the fold. Daughter Stampfel might have replaced Mrs. Stampfel. An actual collection of folk superstars might have become the band. Doesn't matter. This is a do over for the first two Holy Modal Rounder records when it was just basically Stampfel and Weber and whatever they could come up with. Fifty years later. About time. If you've ever found yourself breaking into a chorus of Flop Eared Mule, Bound to Lose, Euphoria or any of the other pre-Boobs a Lot classics, you know who you are and this is for you. Uninitiated? If you've ever read liner notes to a record by Elijah Wald, you're already traveling down the path you need to be on to get to this neo freak folk classic. It's already well on it's way to being a gonzo classic. Check it out.
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